School is vital for children.It provides them withabasic foundationof education to do everything or anything they want to do later in life. Aside from the essential knowledge about key subjects, schoolsdevelop skills that the child will be unable to live without after their education.However, if your child isnot entirely comfortable at their school or they aren’t experiencing the best possible education they could be, transferring schools is a solution.
Transferring schools can massively benefit your child, either through their academic or social life. Most of the time, if your child wishes to change schools it is quite likely that this is the best option. However, there may also be circ*mstances where your child is not willing to switch schools, but it is the best course to take for their future.
As the parent, there are many reasons and conditions to consider while you make or finalise this decision and find your child a school that fixes the problem as well as allows them to feel less stressed, happier, and more comfortable. Please read on to find out more.
1. Your Child’s Mental Health
The mentalhealthof your child may be suffering at their currentschooland this willhave a large impact on their academic life. They may begin to concentrate less or be less motivated to attend school every day. This will lead to them not receiving the education they require for later life. Not only will poormental health affect their education, but it will also affect your child outside ofacademics.
Ensuring your child’s mental health remains healthy is incredibly important and if transferring schools is the way to do this, then that is what must happen.They may becomeless happy due to academic or social stress oranxietyand this may lead to more serious illnesses such as depression.There are several things at school that could be the cause of the negative impact on your child’s mental health.
2. Too Much Stress Due to Internal Tests and Exams
In order toensure their students are keeping up with and remembering what is taught, schools commonly use internal topic testsandend of year exams. These are not highly important when considering the child’s entire schoolcareer,but they can often causeahigh amount of stressin pupils as well as parents.
If these tests are not very beneficial to your child, or if they are of an unreasonable level of difficulty and or quantity. Then this is likely a reason to consider transferring the school of your child as the immense level of stress is unhealthy and may actually result in worse grades in final national exams.
3. Difficult Mobility Between School and Your Home
Many families are not able to pick up and drop their kids off at schoolin a car or evenaccompanythem on public transportor walkingdue to the occupation of the parents.
If themobility and transportrequiredtoget toschoolarenot easy and there is a closer schoolavailable,then this is a viable reason to transfer schoolsof your child.If the journey is too long, this may tire out the child meaning they have less energy to concentrate in class and learn.
The long and difficult journey will also cut into their homework and free time, meaning the child loses motivation for schoolanddoesn’t necessarilyunderstandwhat they are taught. It may also discourage them from going to schoolon a daily basisas they will have to wake up earlier andmake the long journey.
4. The Job of the Parent(s)
Many children transfer school due to the change in jobs or the type of jobs their parents may have.For example,the child of aDiplomator multi-national executiveswould likely have to change schoolaround every two years. This may result in a more difficult and unstable school career for the child however it is necessary due to them having to move with the parent.
A potential alternative solution, other than transferring schools, is a boarding school;ifthis is something that bothparent and child are comfortable with.
5. Unsuitable Methods of Teaching That Are Not Specific to Your Child
Different schools usuallyhaveslightlydifferent teaching methodseach withtheirownadvantagesand disadvantagesand these do not necessarily work forevery singlepupil at that school. For example,oneschool may carry out more field trips thananother schoolto allow their students togain more practical experience and knowledge.
On the contrary,a different school may haveacomparativelylargernumberof internal tests to adapt students to exam conditionsand allow them to practise these as well as creating frequent revision cycles which helps the students embed content into their memory.
It is important to find a school whose teaching methodsarespecialisedto your child’s learningmethods. If this is not the case at your child’s current school,then transferring schoolto one better suited to your child’s learningislikelyanappropriatesolution.
6. Not Enough Choice Is Offered Through Subject Options
It is important that your childis able tofully explore the fields in which they are interested. This willallow their knowledge to develop andtheircuriosity to grow. However, they will not be able topursue their passions and learn about what they enjoywhen the school restricts this growth by not offering enough subjects for the child.
In order toallow your child to have more choice and therefore have access to a wider field of careers in the future, you may transfer their schools from one with scarce subject options to one with many available subjects that your child is interested in.
7. There Are Not Many Extra-Curricular Activities Available
It is important for the child to be able to exploreall oftheir possible interests fortheir future, whether it be in choice of subjects or what activities and clubs they do after or before school. Some of these may include sports such ascricket and swimming or more creative clubs such as crafts or music composing.
Perhaps your child is especially talentedandpassionate abouta particular hobby.If the school has a very limited and scarce amountof these activities available then, as the parent, you may consider transferring them to a different school.
8. The School Day is Too Long or Too Short
Children need enough free time outside of schoolin order topursue out-of-school interests, have a social life, and alsotorelax and get away from theconstantstress andheavy workload that comes withgoing to school.
If the amount of time which they spend at their school is incrediblyhighthen they will not be able to have adequate time torelaxand this will begin to affect their concentration and motivation in class.
However, if their school day istoo short,it does not provide an adequate amount of time for themto learn the required courses andcontent that they must know fornationalexams and future careers.
9. Your Child Is Uncomfortable Due to Social Circ*mstances (Bullies or Unkind Friends)
It is important that your child feels comfortable at the location of their highly essential educationin order toget the most out of a school day as possible.However, if there is a high amount ofinhospitalityat the school due to bullies orsocialexclusion,or any other negative socialisingrelatedcirc*mstance,then the child will not be able to concentrate during class and will have poor mentalhealth.
They may also be scared to show up to schooland this low attendance will have severeimpacts upon their education and may even lead to them not being able to pass the grade.
10. The Teachers at The School Are Unkind or Not Suitable for Your Child
The teachers and management of the school are a key part of what makes up the school, equal to the pupils that go there, and arguably more important than the campus and property of the school. When these teachers are not doing absolutelyeverything,they can to ensure your child gains everything possible from their 12 vital school years, and are uncooperative in improving, then it is time to consider transferring school.
11. The School Rules Are Too Restrictive
Rules are present in every single schoolin order tomaintain order and allow all pupils to gain the most out of their education.However, when these rules begin to take away the child’sfreedom rather than provide a healthy learning environment, it is time to consider transferring your child to a different school.
Many schools have the key vital rules such as no phones during class or respecting the property, teachers, and other pupils. These are important in creating an educational and encouraging atmosphere at the school.
However, sometimes schools go too far and introduce rules that are far more restrictive and are debatably unnecessary such as preventing a child from using the bathroom or dying their hair. These types of rules may be a reason to transfer your child to a different school as these types of rules can affect their mental health and motivation to attend and learn at school.
12. The School Fee Is Too Expensive
Most schools in the UK are free however some parents do choose to send their children to independent privateschoolsand this means that the fee of the school plays a huge part in whetherand which private school the child goes to.
As the parent, if you begin facing financial trouble due to an unaffordable termly fee and the school does not provide financial aid such as bursaries then you may have to transfer the child to a less expensive or a free state school despite them being comfortable.
13. Your Child Is Moving Between Keys Stages
It is common for all children at the age of 12/13 to transfer to a different school. This is because they are moving from their primaryor preparatorystage of learninginto their secondary or higher stageof learning.
The high school which they transfer to is usually decided by the catchment of where they live. However, some choose to attend other schools for reasons such as that is the high school that is most correlative to their primary school or they move into a privateindependentschool.
Some children also transfer schools around the age of 16/17 because they choose to attend sixth form colleges rather than continue at their current high school.
14. The School Is Unwilling to Adapt to Your Child’s Needs
For many of the reasons that have been or will be mentioned, rather than transferring schools, a different solution could be found by communicating with the school to arrange conditions that solve the reason.
However, the school may be unwilling to make changes, and this may be likely,depending upon the magnitude of the changes thatneed to be made to allow your child to feel comfortable.Schools will often be willing to help improve the mental health of your child but if there isreally notmuch they are able to do then transferring schools is the only other option.
15. The Child Is Unwilling to Adapt to The School
Similar tothe reason above, the child may not be willing to discuss and find a solution to their problems, either academic or social related, by communicating and arranging with the school and so this would mean there are very few options other than transferring schools.
You should never force your child to entirely change themselvesin order toadapt to the school which they go to. If they are suffering from academic or socialstressthen an effective long term solution should be found rather than telling the child to ‘deal with it’ or ‘ignore it’ because this will have huge impacts on their mental health and what they actually learn at school.
16. There is Too Much or Too Little Homework Set
Teachersset homeworkin order forchildren to comprehend anduse thecontent taught in class in order for them to gain a deeper understanding and to remember it better. However different schoolsallow teachers to set varying amounts of homework.
The amount which works best for yourchild is generally not too little, which would cause them to not gain a deeperand moresure understandingof the topic if it isn’t taught well in class. However, the average amount of homework for your child should also not be too high because this would cause stress anda lack of motivation. This will badly affect their mental health and perhaps cause them to startintenselyavoidingthatparticular subjector eventhe concept of homework in general.
17. Inadequate Facilities
It is important that the environment in which your child goes to learn everyday for6 to7 hours is fully equipped for theireducation.If the school which your child goes to does not provide the appropriate facilities fortheirlearning,then this ismay bea reason to transfer schools.
For example, if your child is greatly interested in football or basketball but the school fails to provide usable courts and fields then your childcannotdevelop this interest. Similarly, if your child wishes to study or read during school time and the school doesn’t provide a quiet place for them to concentrate such as a library then they will be unable to do so.
Bathrooms,toilets,canteensand water fountainsare also included within these highly essential facilities. It ismoreimportant that your childhas everything they require for basic survival at their place of learning, as well as the less obvious facilities for their learning.
Your child may also requirespecialassistanceduring theschoolday. This may be due to a physical disability such as moving in a wheelchair or due to a learningdisability thatmay prevent them fromlearning and understanding new skills easily andcopingindependently.
The correct facilitiesshould bemade available at the school, atahighquality, such as ramps and lifts orproviding teaching assistants and flexible learning times.
18. The School Is Discriminative
The school which your child goes to is likely to have a Non-Discrimination policy, but most schools are not quite as good as they should be at following this policy. Even casual micro-aggressions let alone visible discrimination can gravely affect your child’s mental health and motivation to learn and this should not be tolerated at any school.
If the school which your child goes to has any form of discrimination and is not going to great lengths to eradicate it, then transferring your child to a different school is something that shoulddefinitely beconsidered.
19. Unsanitary Campus
The environment in which students learn must be ideal for their concentration and learning however, with an unsanitary campus they may be unable to concentrate on their learning.
It may be due to facilities that are not meeting the level of cleanliness they are required to be for the whole school to use it healthily and safely, such as badly functioning toilets. This may also affect the food which they consume at the school. The low level of sanitation may affect the physical health of your child as they are exposed to more bacteria as well as affecting the mental health of your child.
An unsanitary campus createsdistraction in the children around as they are not in an environment optimised for their concentration.It will also allow learning to be moreinteractive andproductive asthe teacher can make use of more resources, such as classroom space or outdoor areas.
Find out moreatthisstudy showing how cleanliness affects learning
20. Area Surrounding the School
The environment in which the school is located may also be a viable reason to transfer your child to a different schoolif it is an inappropriate community for young and vulnerable children.This may be due to the level of safety in the area or the level of illegal substance dealing. It is important that your children learn in a healthy and safe environment, even when travelling to and back home from school.
Thelevel of safety in the area may also begin to affect the internal campus of the school as it may cause socialpressure and children to become more scared, affecting their mental health and motivation to learn.
21. Smaller Reasons That May Contribute to The Decision to Transfer Schools
Unhealthy food options
Children require a healthy diet as a source of energyin order tolearn and concentrate at school. However,if this is not available at the school which they go to, this will negatively affect their education through energy levels.
Unpleasant or lack of uniform
It is important that pupils feel comfortable and happy when learning andit is not likely that this is the case when they are in clothesthatthey find unappealing or uncomfortable.
Familiarity with the teacher, as the parent
Being more comfortable speaking to a teacher due toknowing them previously or meeting them at several parent-teacher meetings will mean that you as the parent are more informed about what is going on at your child schoolsand alsoallow you tomore efficientlydiscuss solutions to anyissues your child may have at school.
